Wichita eagle., 1887-12-14
-MsSSANlla@
9atlu - Eagle
SLEEPLESSNESS..
CAUSE OF THE NERVOUS iRRi-
liability OF YOUNG PEOPLE.

Sleeping in Certain Positions-Difiicult
for Doctors to Agree the Subject.
Rule at West Point.
Whoever first said that "nine hours sleep
Is enough for a fool" disclosed by those words
closer Ilnship to the fool than he was aware
of. The larger and more active the brain the
more sleep it must have. Webster, during
The grandest period OF his life contrived to
secure at least nine hours sleep. Gen. Grant
said during the most eventful period of his
great campaign, II can do nothing without
nine hours sleep"
To get the sleep required by the brain
worker. it is necessary that he should be able
10 drop of TO sleep at viii Bonaparte used
30 lie on the ground and in two minutes be
fast asleep 1t is pretty safe rule to sleep
as long as you are sleepy. There are people
who are wise enough TO eat when they are
hungry. but who have never attained that
higher degree of wisdom to sleep when they
are sleepy
Gen. Butler, who is a worker of enormous
power, can sleep almost at viii, it is said NJ
Lesseps has trained himself 10 sleep at any
.ime, and it is said that be can sleep a whole
day and night at q stretch. lie sleeps during
his railway journeys and while on shipboard,
at times when others are usually awake.
Very likely much OF the nervous irTitabiEty
and weakness that young people have, es-
pecially girls. is due to an indulgence re-
ceived in early childhood in the matter Of
putting off going to bed at nightfall The
parlor is lighted, the books and work are out,
the table is open for games, the neighbor,
perhaps, has dropped il, ali looks so cheerful
md bright that the child whose bedtime has
sounded begs entreatingly for first a little
more time; and the mother, whose heart
yearns toward her children, and who viii
not deprive them of any pleasure, relents for
just that little time and does not hurry to
put an end to that. When at last the chill
dren do 90 off reluctantly they have found
that procrastination is a pleasure and chat
they can break a paternal law by teasing;
but the natural law that calls for sleep they
cannot break, and as they get up in the
morning at about the same time, whatever
time they went to bed their nerves have
been deprived of their necessary rest and
sheir brains of the due amount of the growth
Or the repair which t3kes place in sleep.
II has yet to be determined, says a medical
journal, whether any particular harm can
come from sleeping in a certain position
which the individual unconsciously assumes.
Observations made upon 235 soldiers show
that 81 per cent. SLEPT upon the right side,
% per cent. upon the LETT and 80 per cent. on
the back. A physician, however, says that it
is better 70 lie on the right side, in the alb
sence Of special diseases. such - lung disease
rendering it desirable to lie on the weak side,
so as to leave the healthy lung free to ex-
pand
When rest is taken on the right side, the
body is placed where the food era itates more
easily out of the stomach into the intcstines
and the weight of the stomach does not COM
press the upper portion of the intestines.
To show how difficult it is for doctors to
Rgree, their opinions on the proper position
during sleep may be continued One of
them maintains that lying fiat on the back
with the limbs relaxed would seem to secure
the greatest amount of rest for the muscular
system. This is the position assumed in the
most exhau5ting diseases and it IS generally
hailed as a token Of revival when the patient
voluntarily turns on the side. Sleeping with
arms thrown over the head is to be depre-
Gated, because Ii creates a tendency to Cramp
ard cold i'll the arms, and sometimes seems 10
cause headaches and dreams. On the other
hand. physician says that sleep should be
taken with the face downward. LYING with
the great weight of the stomach heart, in
testincs and other organs pressing on the
numerous nerves about The spine, must in
time work injury. Even the half weight, as
when the person lies on his side, must have
its bad effects. II is said The spine and
nerves are also abnormally treated by the
common way Of resting. Sleeping with the
face downward is called the natural wav.
Again, it is claimed that really healthy
person does moi keep in one position ali night
He rests on one side and then on the other
and probably sleeps on his back and in mo,li-
tcations Of these positions. Physicians say
that it Injuries the liver To lie constantly on
the right side, is bad for the heart TO lie on
TIL left side. and E:ost people have the night
mare or sleep too heavily if they rest ON the
back. At the military school il Paris the
students are ordered 10 sleep on the right side,
and the same RUE isin force a West Point.
4 doctor recommends a position during
sleep in which the feet viii he elevated about
eight inches above the head the habit can be
easily formed if the process. is undertaken
gradualy-the pillows beng taken from be-
meath the head and placed under the Pet.
Many years experience with TINS method Of
sleeping convinced the doctor that the civcu-
lation is improved and better nutrition for
the brain and nerves obtained. As the thy
rod gland acrs rs a regulator for the distri-
button OF the blood, no undue congestion OF
The brain need he apprehended. He recon-
mends his method for nervous disorders de-
pending on anaaInia OF the brain and spine,
chorea. epilepsy, etc, and in diseases Of the
heart and lunEs-Good Housekeeping.